35 Tunisian Students in Heidelberg

03.08.2017

From July 24 to 31, we welcomed 35 senior high-school students from Tunisia and their three teachers for a one-week taste of German language and culture.

In cooperation with our Tunisian partner agency Access Tunisie, the students experienced an exciting week that comprised a lot more than studying vocabulary and grammar. “It’s been a really interesting experience,” says Mohamed, 17. He especially liked the way German is taught at F+U Academy of Languages: “I loved the atmosphere and the teachers. I felt very welcome and that encouraged me to continue learning German.”

Nade, 18, had a good experience. She enjoyed the international feel of our language school: “We met so many people from so many different countries, which made our stay so exceptional and instructive. But the most important thing was our teacher, she was just fantastic.”

After their daily German lessons on level A1, the Tunisians made the most of their time by getting to know Heidelberg and its environs. “We enjoyed visiting Heidelberg Castle,” say Molka, 17, and Saïdi, 18. The castle is one of the city’s most popular attractions, offering a beautiful view of the city and insights into its long history.

All Tunisian students are enthusiastic about continuing their German studies. As Molka says, “I definitely want to come back to Heidelberg to learn more German.”

The three accompanying teachers Ms. Karabibane, Ms. Touil and Ms. Farhat work at gymnasiums in Tunisia, where they teach German two to three times a week to 12th and 13th graders.

“For most of our students it’s the first time in Germany or Europe, which is why they’re all really excited to be here,” says Ms. Karabibane, adding that the programme at F+U Academy of Languages is varied and interesting enough to make her students absolutely happy.

Ms. Touil, who has been teaching German in Tunisia for many years, is enthusiastic about the unique opportunity of teaching an international class at F+U Academy of Languages. “I normally teach only Tunisian students,” she says, “and it’s been an amazing experience to have so many different nationalities in one classroom.” Apart from her classroom experience, she enjoyed being in Heidelberg and the excursions our school organized for the group. Her personal highlights include Heidelberg’s beautiful landscape and the boat trip on the Neckar river.

Her colleague Ms. Farhat recommends a stay at F+U Academy of Languages to any students wishing to study German. “German is very popular in Tunisia. A lot of students plan to study in Germany after graduation.”

The one-week trip helped the students gain an insight into the German language, culture, history, and the people’s mentality. It’s been an exciting trip for all of the 35 Tunisian students that they certainly won’t forget.

More on the activities of our Tunisia Centre can be found here. See a gallery of pictures of the Tunisian students' stay here.